Manager of the Month award

[janu 0]

It's smiles better now Mar 9 2006

The Evening Chronicle

 

One of the most tangible features of the Glenn Roeder-Alan Shearer management of our beloved Newcastle United is in the mood amongst supporters.

 

I don't think I'm the only one who felt like I was dragging myself to joyless matches under much of Graeme Souness' era, but going up to SJP on Saturday we had a spring in our step and a bit of optimism. The team is playing decent football.

 

Defensively, despite having Carr, Bramble, Taylor and Moore missing, I don't think we have been as well organised in a long time - and that has to be down to the coaching of Roeder.

 

Our midfield four of Solano, Emre, Parker and N'Zogbia has the look of a really effective unit, playing with width, creativity and intelligence.

 

Scott Parker is simply one of the finest midfield players we've had at the club in my 30-odd years watching them.

 

Up top we're still missing Michael Owen, but it's nice to see the midfield (Solano) weighing in with the goals to help.

 

Shola was getting it in the neck on Saturday after what appeared to be another lacklustre performance, but I wonder if the lad is not showing a great deal more commitment by turning out and doing his best, carrying a knock while others are laid low by injuries.

 

It's not just formations, however. The team is playing with a lot more purpose and confidence, and they seem like they are enjoying it as well.

 

All of this against a backdrop of more injuries. Roeder has concentrated on the players he can select rather than those he can't - the power of positive thinking!

 

Whether Roeder is the man to lead Newcastle United in the long term is a different matter.

 

One thing is for certain and that is he has bought the club time in thinking about a new manager.

 

The next appointment has to be right. Newcastle United has to move forward.

 

We cannot afford to give up further ground on the country's leading clubs if we are to be taken seriously as a force in English football.

 

It will be hard to catch up with Man Utd and Chelsea, but we are the equal in support terms and potential finance as Arsenal and Liverpool.

 

They are the two clubs we need to aim to match.

Edited March 11, 2006 by janu

[Toonraider 0]

very possibly but lets hope not!!

[twiggy_nufc 0]

I'm thinking result at man u and more in the finish of the season and fatty freddie may just think he has another proper manager to go with his proper players

 

 

but i'm not complaining he is doing a cracking job here so he can stay if he wants to

[janu 0]

Wouldn't complain if we got Roeder on a permant basis, tbh.

 

I only rate O'Neill, Hitzfeld & Hiddink as better candidates at the moment...

 

Edited March 9, 2006 by janu

[TOPTOON 0]

I'm all for Roeder and Shearer atm. Really hope they do well. Bit too early yet though lets see how he does in the next 6 games and things will be clearer still!

[janu 0]

Head to head Mar 10 2006

 

By Stuart Rayner, The Journal

 

Glenn Roeder faces a fight with the man who replaced him in his previous job if he is to be named Manager of the Month for only the second time in his career today.

 

February's winner is announced this morning and the two main contenders - Roeder and West Ham United's Alan Pardew - have identical records. Both managers won four and drew one of their five games last month, making the two Uniteds the Premiership's in-form teams.

 

Newcastle's results were all the more impressive when seen in the context of what came before - and that could swing the decision in Roeder's favour.

 

Ironically, his rival for the accolade is Pardew, the man who replaced Roeder as West Ham manager in 2003.

 

The former defender left Upton Park in August of that year after seeing his Hammers team relegated from the Premiership while he was convalescing from an operation to remove a brain tumour. Unsurprisingly, given the unhappy manner of his departure from east London, Roeder has declared himself unwilling to return to full-time management but the former Magpies captain has gone a long way to repairing his reputation since overseeing first-team affairs at St James's Park.

 

Newcastle were in disarray at the end of Graeme Souness' time as manager, a malaise summed up by a dire 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in what proved to be the Scot's final game in charge.

 

United have not looked back since appointing academy director Roeder as caretaker manager on February 2.

 

Apart from the results themselves, the most impressive part of United's upturn has been their new-found defensive resolve.

 

The Magpies conceded just one goal in February and in four weeks at the helm, Roeder has led the team to just two less clean sheets than Souness managed in the entire rest of the season.

 

Right-back Peter Ramage, who has played in all of Roeder's games in charge so far, put the improvement down to hard work but refuted suggestions it was an area neglected by Souness.

 

"We did a lot of work on it with the old gaffer," he argued. "It's just things weren't going as they should have been. We've done a lot of work on trying to make ourselves hard to score against and hard to beat. In the last couple of games that's happened.

 

"Over the years Newcastle United have been renowned for their attacking flair and sometimes we were left exposed at the back through our sheer attacking play. We're more solid now."

 

Newcastle have also benefited from a settled back four - more by necessity than choice. With Stephen Carr and Steven Taylor injured and Craig Moore short of match fitness, Roeder has had just five defenders - Ramage, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Robbie Elliott, Celestine Babayaro and Titus Bramble available to him - and no more than four of them at any one time. Although it has left Roeder short of options, Ramage believes it has helped.

 

"Titus getting injured didn't help but prior to that it was a settled back four," he pointed out. "We were getting to know each other's games the more we played and I think that showed in only conceding two goals in the last six games.

 

"As a back four you can build confidence from that."

 

Roeder's only previous Manager of the Month award came in March 2003 - his last full month as a full-time manager before his health problems intervened. The highlight of West Ham's month was a 3-2 win at the home of European Cup quarter-finalists Arsenal.

 

Roeder does not have a scalp to match that but unlike Pardew, his team is safely into the last eight of the FA Cup. The Hammers face Bolton Wanderers in a replay next week after February's 0-0 draw.

 

Meanwhile, United have dismissed rumours that Michael Owen has suffered a setback in his recovery from a broken metatarsal.

[janu 0]

Glenn set to miss boss award Mar 10 2006

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Glenn Roeder looks as though he has missed out on the manager of the month award.

 

Barclays will announce their man for February tonight and I believe that the Newcastle United caretaker boss will be pipped for the award by Alan Pardew, his successor at West Ham.

 

However, Freddy Shepherd stormed today: "If this is the case, then Glenn Roeder is still the Geordie supporters' manager of the month after what he has achieved for us in the past month."

 

FA Cup ties do not count in the judging, leaving Roeder with three Premiership victories and a draw in February compared with Pardew's three straight wins at Arsenal and at home to relegation candidates Sunderland and Birmingham City.

 

What must be particularly dis-appointing for Newcastle fans is that if the judges have opted for Pardew they cannot have taken into account the state United were in - one point out of 18 - when Roeder took over from Graeme Souness on February 2 and immediately took 13 points out of 15.

 

But Roeder was too concerned and focused on Sunday's trip to Old Trafford to worry about whether or not he had won his second Manager of the Month award to go with the one he picked in his time at Upton Park in 2003.

 

He told me today: "Without being disrespectful to anyone there is no award they can give me which I would swop for three points at Old Trafford.

 

"I have not given the manager of the month award a minute's thought.

 

"In fact, looking back at this award sometimes it has been a millstone around the neck of the person who has won."

Hope Anal is wrong!

[Holden McGroin 6785]

Glenn set to miss boss award Mar 10 2006

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Glenn Roeder looks as though he has missed out on the manager of the month award.

 

Barclays will announce their man for February tonight and I believe that the Newcastle United caretaker boss will be pipped for the award by Alan Pardew, his successor at West Ham.

 

However, Freddy Shepherd stormed today: "If this is the case, then Glenn Roeder is still the Geordie supporters' manager of the month after what he has achieved for us in the past month."

 

FA Cup ties do not count in the judging, leaving Roeder with three Premiership victories and a draw in February compared with Pardew's three straight wins at Arsenal and at home to relegation candidates Sunderland and Birmingham City.

 

What must be particularly dis-appointing for Newcastle fans is that if the judges have opted for Pardew they cannot have taken into account the state United were in - one point out of 18 - when Roeder took over from Graeme Souness on February 2 and immediately took 13 points out of 15.

 

But Roeder was too concerned and focused on Sunday's trip to Old Trafford to worry about whether or not he had won his second Manager of the Month award to go with the one he picked in his time at Upton Park in 2003.

 

He told me today: "Without being disrespectful to anyone there is no award they can give me which I would swop for three points at Old Trafford.

 

"I have not given the manager of the month award a minute's thought.

 

"In fact, looking back at this award sometimes it has been a millstone around the neck of the person who has won."

Hope Anal is wrong!

105186[/snapback]

 

 

Nah, Pardew got it.

[adios 717]

So Pardew continues the award's curse with a hammering from Bolton while we continue our unbeaten run against Man U?

[janu 0]

West Ham United manager Alan Pardew has scooped the Barclays Manager of the Month Award for February with Bolton Wanderers midfielder Kevin Nolan named Barclays Player of the Month.

And the two Barclays Award winners will go head-to-head on Saturday when West Ham travel to the Reebok Stadium.

Ouch!

 

 

Who cares anyway...

 

Go on Glenn, keep up the good work! You'll get it next month

Edited March 11, 2006 by janu

[Papa Lazaru 0]

Not that anyone, least of all Roeder will be bothered, but he should have got it. Simply because he inherited a complete shambles from Souness, with no morale, no ideas and heading towards the bottom three and instantly turned it round.

 

But as somebody said it just meant Pardew suffered the curse and got a good beating in his next game whilst we can go and get a comfortable win at Old Trafford

[Bellers 0]

Pardew lost 4-1 today, the curse strikes again.